Guest column: Education is a FAMILY affair

Thursday

Oct 3, 2013 at 6:55 PM

The school year has begun and once again the episodic discussions of education and money come to the forefront in Oak Ridge, as recently reflected in the dueling columns by City Manager Mark Watson and School Superintendent Bruce Borchers regarding a $250,000 shortfall in the Oak Ridge schools budget.

Roberts S. Walsh/Special to The Oak Ridger

The school year has begun and once again the episodic discussions of education and money come to the forefront in Oak Ridge, as recently reflected in the dueling columns by City Manager Mark Watson and School Superintendent Bruce Borchers regarding a $250,000 shortfall in the Oak Ridge schools budget. I was dismayed, however, by the political approach taken in resolving the issue specifically since the institutions they represent are here to collectively serve the people of Oak Ridge and do what is both beneficial and fair to the community as a whole. Going public and dividing the community with the threat of an Oak Ridge schools closure is the type of rhetoric I expect from our elected officials, not paid employees of the taxpayers; I believe their objective is to resolve issues, not let them reach the crisis stage.

It is understandable that both men stand where they sit. The City Manager stands with the City Council, which is dealing with reduced tax revenues and the School Superintendent stands with the employees of Oak Ridge schools, who seek more income. However, in reality both organizations these gentlemen represent are equally culpable for the current situation. The City Council for continually approving Oak Ridge schools’ budgets that on average increased by nearly five percent annually from 2000 to 2010 and

See EDUCATION, Page 2A

Oak Ridge schools officials who continually submit inflated budgets under the premise that money is the solution to any and all educational challenges.

And that’s where the problem lies. The people of Oak Ridge, much like communities throughout America, have been led to believe there is a direct correlation between the amount of money spent on education and the quality of education. In fact, statistics indicate that thesis is inaccurate. In 2010, total annual spending on education in the United States exceeded $809 billion, which is more than France, Germany, Japan, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia combined. Over the last 40 years, spending per pupil in the United States has doubled while test scores continue to decline. The most recent results of 50 industrialized nations place the American education system at 17th, despite spending more on education than any other nation in the world. A State Budget Solutions analysis of spending by state conducted from 2009 to 2011 reflected that states that spend the most on education as a portion of their total budget did not graduate students at a higher rate, nor did their students score better on the ACT than their peers.

According to the Tennessee Department of Education, of the approximately 136 districts across Tennessee, the Oak Ridge schools is either No. 1 or 2 in teachers’ pay, expenditures per student, and student to teacher ratio. In addition, the Oak Ridge schools budget increased by more than 50 percent from $35 million to $55 million over a 10-year period from 2000 to 2010. These figures do not include the cost of a $61 million renovation of a state-of-the-art high school completed in 2008. And yet, Oak Ridge High School ACT scores on average continue to decline.

The facts speak for themselves. Money is not the solution, not in America or Oak Ridge. Unfortunately, education leadership from the federal level to the local level has convinced much of the public and families alike that they will educate our children if they just have more money. It’s a false premise. And as a result, there has been an untenable burden placed on teachers to educate our youth. The job of the Oak Ridge schools and its teachers, like school districts and teachers everywhere is to provide the best educational product or opportunity available. For the most part they do that. However, the truth is education is a family affair. Single parent families, middle-class families, poor families, whatever the definition of the modern family is, make no mistake it is their responsibility to educate their children. And if we’re not reaching out to them and telling them the truth, then we’re simply deceiving them.

For over 30 years I’ve lived and worked in well over a dozen countries and had the good fortune to serve for six years during that period as a professor of military science at both the University of Tennessee and Texas A&M, so there is some understanding of the educational system. During my time in the formal education system, the students that did well came from families where education was a priority. In direct contrast, the majority of the past 30 years was spent in war ravaged, poverty stricken countries where families had been torn apart and receiving an education was at best a dream. Yet despite the obstacles, I was always struck by the determination of families to get their children an education. From Cambodia to Sierra Leone, I observed parents and family members get their children off to school often times walking barefoot for miles on trails and dusty roads just to get to a mud hut that may have a chalkboard and if they were lucky, chalk. Often, the child hadn’t eaten since the previous evening meal or the family consisted of a single parent or relative because either one or both parents had been lost in conflict. Public funding was minimal at best and often the teachers were simply the most educated in the village, but education was a precious commodity not to be wasted. Sitting in on classrooms, children were eager to learn and homework was to be completed under the supervision of the parent or family, often next to the cooking fire or by candlelight. At no time, did the government or teachers take responsibility for education. Rather, educational opportunity, where it could be found, was the responsibility of parents and families.

However, criticism is nothing more than criticism without a solution. So let me present it in two parts. Part one, it’s time for educational leaders from the federal government to our local communities to be honest with parents and families about education. Parents and families need to be told that they are responsible for their children receiving a quality education not the federal government, state government, local community, school district or teachers. Rather, the mission of government and communities is to provide a quality educational commodity and opportunity. In essence, if parents don’t create a climate where education is a priority, set educational objectives that must be met, and develop parameters within the household for meeting those educational objectives, then there is a high probability their children will not receive a quality education.

Children spend a maximum of between 45 and 49 hours a week in a school setting with approximately 30 hours of that time in a classroom. Compare that to the nearly 120 hours a week children spend outside of school, a period of time teachers do not control. If parents and families don’t ensure that a portion of that time is spent on studies, then it is likely there will not be success in the classroom. There are no shortage of federal, state, and local public service announcements constantly telling the American people what not to do but how about a campaign from the federal to local level reminding parents and families that their children’s education is their responsibility.

For the most part, the majority of responsible parents understand their educational responsibilities, however, there is a growing minority of parents and families, as a result of the educational false premise, who either seem willing to turn their responsibilities over to a bureaucracy or simply do not understand their educational responsibilities. And it is this minority of parents that educational apologists will focus on, providing a myriad of anecdotal arguments about single parents, working parents, poor families, broken families, drug addiction, alcoholism, and any host of other issues. Make no mistake, in many cases these are real issues and are to be dealt with, however, absolving parents and families of the responsibility for their children’s education and even feeding them simply exacerbates the current state of education across America. I, unlike our educational leaders, firmly believe that parents and families want their children to receive a quality education and do what is required in most cases to make that happen. However, if educational leaders continue to push the premise that more money equates to a quality education, then of course some parents will ultimately accept this as truth.

Part two, local school districts must develop outreach programs for those parents and families with legitimate issues that may negatively impact their children’s education. It is essential that elected educational officials and administrators develop an educational culture within their communities by stressing the important role parents and families play in education. Speak to local community groups and civic organizations and develop a pool of volunteers, who with some training, can meet with parents and families and emphasize the important role they play in their children’s education. Volunteers when required, can with the family’s consent, assist in helping to establish educational goals and setting up parameters that help in achieving these goals. The education system can no longer rely on the standard parent-teacher sessions or PTA meetings that take place in a school setting but rather parents need to be reached in their home.

For the Oak Ridge schools elected officials and administrators, its time to try something unique and different, particularly for a community that has had a history of innovation. Oak Ridge is no longer a community where the majority of students are children from highly educated parents employed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. For these children, education was a priority. However, the demographics have changed. Nearly 35 percent of Oak Ridge students are provided some form of food assistance through breakfast or lunch programs. Statistical data reflects, that economic concerns within a family often reduce the ability of a child to receive a quality education. Third-grade reading comprehension within Oak Ridge schools is also a concern that negatively impacts a student’s ability to learn and does not bode well for the future. As stated previously, ACT scores continue to decline despite more than adequate funding. I know that Oak Ridge schools elected officials and administrators have been approached at least twice by volunteers within the community about developing an outreach program for families and students. Unfortunately there has been little or no interest.

Of course, I and other concerned citizens of Oak Ridge want Oak Ridge schools to be adequately funded. However, both elected officials and educational administrators need to start doing what is best for the community and not the institutions they represent. Trust must be earned by results and currently the results have come up short. Lay to rest the idea that money is the panacea for education. Oak Ridge is a community that is abundant with men and women who understand the importance of education and developing skills. Men and women with real world experience stand ready to assist. Therefore, let go of the parochial view that only you understand education and tap into the natural resources at your disposal.